Possibly
no one knows when banh khot (a somewhat small Vietnamese
pancake) appeared in Vietnam’s cuisine and people are
sure if the popular and cheap dish is the specialty
of the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
However, many Vietnamese know that the neighbours of
Ho Chi Minh City, especially Vung Tau City, are well-known
for having many stalls selling delicious banh khot.

A
banh khot stallholder on Ba Cu Street in Vung Tau City,
who has been named Ms. Muoi by guests, said that the
general method to make banh khot is the same at every
stall, but each one focuses on different details to
create specific characters to attract more guests.

Rice,
cold rice after being cooked or rice crust at the bottom
of the pot, shrimp, ground dried shrimp, nuoc mam (fish
sauce) and vegetables are the main ingredients of the
dish.

Muoi
said that first she mills the mix of rice and cold rice
after being cooked into flour before pouring the flour
into a mould that has nearly 50 small holes in the shape
of a half circle. After that, she adds dried shrimp
and fresh shrimp to the holes. Diners can eat the dish
after the mix’s skin becomes yellow. “Rolling the banh
khot with vegetables and using fish sauce is the feasible
way to enjoy the banh khot,” she said, adding that a
banh khot dish contains 8-10 pieces.

The
owner of the Banh Khot Goc Vu Sua stall on Nguyen Truong
To Street, which is said to serve the most delicious
banh khot dishes in the city, has a different specific
detail to attract diners. “In the flour mix, besides
rice, we also use rice crust from the bottom of the
pot so that the cake becomes crisper,” the owner said.
“Moreover, for the vegetable, we use many cabbages.
The combination the slight bitterness of the cabbage,
banh khot’s crispness and the fish sauce’s saltiness
is wonderful for diners.”

The
stall is now some 21 years old, the same age as the
owner’s daughter, who is being trained to inherit her
mother’s stall.

Available
for breakfast or light meals

Because
of the popularity of the dish in small pieces, the banh
khot can be eaten for breakfast. “Especially on weekends,
when people are off work, the mornings are peak times
at our stall with many diners coming here to enjoy banh
khot for breakfast,” the Banh Khot Cay Vu Sua’s owner
said.

When
travelling to other banh khot stalls from Banh Khot
Co Hai on Ky Dong Street to Banh Khot Ms. Muoi on Ba
Cu Street or others on Hoang Hoa Tham Street, they are
found to be just as busy.

In
the afternoon when school or work is finished, friends
can drop in at a stall to enjoy banh khot pieces as
a light meal.

The
Banh Khot Rach Dua Stall on Ba Muoi Thang Tu Street,
about 5 km from the city’s downtown, can be an interesting
option because it only serves banh khot in the afternoon.
Although it is a good distance from downtown, many residents
and tourists visit there to dine because of its quality.

At
night, especially on weekends, is also a favourite time
to enjoy banh khot. During the trip around the Vung
Tau City, tourists can visit a banh khot stall to enjoy
the dish while relaxing in the quiet atmosphere and
cool wind from the sea.

It
is said that besides seafood, which is already famous
there, tourists can enjoy a banh khot tour when visiting
Vung Tau to understand more about the specialty.

A
banh khot dish includes 8-10 small pieces. Prices start
from VND 10,000-15,000 a dish.